Consultant: Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities in West Africa at Habitat for Humanity International

Scope of Work

Objectives of the inception phase:

The consultant will be fully dedicated to providing project planning and management support in the inception phase component 1 of the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana project. The inception phase is pivotal for project ownership and planning. During this inception period, Habitat for Humanity seeks to:

• Review the current project implementation context and based on real situation, draft conclusions and recommendations to strengthen implementation of specific project components, accounting for the evolving changes since initial proposal development phase.
• Review and adapt the project strategy to meet the distinct challenges and opportunities in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, ensuring the creation of region-specific work plans.
• Develop a concise project work plan that provides an operational roadmap with major milestones and priorities
• Draft Terms of Reference (TORs) for project sub-contracts and project teams after a thorough review of each country’s needs
• Develop efficient project management tools and methodologies in collaboration with Project Steering Committee
• Assess current standards and design a region-specific quality plan complemented by a streamlined monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Ensure that it’s project partners in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, with the guidance of the engaged consultant, deeply understand the project design, discuss roles and responsibilities within the decision-making structures, including the communication channels and reporting relationships, conflicts resolution mechanisms.
• Collaborate with HFHI to assess current data and draft a comprehensive project inception report and organize an inception workshop with key stakeholders.

The engagement of an experienced international consultant is imperative for achieving these objectives.

​​​​​​​Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the guidance and in consultation with the HFHI, Africa Area Office Program Operations Director, the responsible Manager, the DRR at HFHI, and relevant stakeholders, the consultants will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Project Initiation and start up

• Coordinate start-up processes for the complex grant involving multiple partners
• Reassess the project management structure, showcasing the reporting lines
• Review TORs of key project staff to ensure effective project execution and management skills for the implementation of concerned projects or separate modules.

Task 2: Develop Regional Project management plan and subsidiary plans

• Design a specific regional annual work plan for the first year of implementation in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Adjustments to the budget may be necessary based on regional dynamics.
• Clarify and finalize TORs for all project sub-contracts within these countries.
• Reassess the Logical Framework, ensuring region-specific, updated, and measurable indicators.
• Update the M&E framework, including country-specific targets, detailed M&E plans indicating responsibilities of local and international personnel.
• Develop risk management strategies, dependencies and project team actions, with designated ownership.
• Craft evaluation plans in harmony with the socio-economic and environmental conditions of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
• Design a cost and procurement management plan
• Develop and review with the functional managers, for purpose of adoption, the project management control mechanisms (Guidelines, KPI, report templates, etc.) for the follow up of the project, from the initiation through implementation and completion phases.

Task 3: Communication & Coordination

• Develop other projects plans such as communication plans with documentation showing approaches used within the duration of projects implementation periods
• Work with Subject Matter Experts to estimate the project's effort required from other functions.
• Outline detailed TORs for the Regional Steering Committee, demarcating roles and responsibilities.
• Host consultation meetings with key stakeholders in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire
• Determine resource dependencies across multiple projects locations, ensuring synergy between local partners and initiatives .
• Preparation of normal Program Operations Office requirements (e.g. status reports, etc.) in conjunction with the Project team and Area Office

Task 4: Documentation and Reporting

• Draft an Inception Report for both countries, encapsulating all mentioned analyses.
• Prepare a presentation for a Regional Inception Workshop, refining the report thereafter.

The engaged consultant will head these tasks. Local staff and partners from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire will assist in coordination, data collection, and other tasks. Engagement with regional entities, including specific departments in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, is essential.

Competencies

Required skills

• Excellent analytical skills
• Efficient planning, organization and problem-solving skills and experience
• Skilled & experienced at managing interpersonal relations to build rapport inside and outside the immediate project teams, motivate through leadership and mentor development of PMs
• Good communications skills in written and oral in English and French, and the capacity to easily communicate the essential information in concise and clear manner,
• Negotiations skills. He/ She should have the capacity to adapt quickly, team-up easily with others and build good relationship with project team members and managers,

​​​​​​​Qualifications

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in related disciplines with a significant experience in project management of multi-country grant projects
• At least 8-10 years working experience in NGO project management preferably with software-backed planning and monitoring.
• Passed experience in working with international NGOs and /or a multilateral institution.
• Professional certifications in project management such as Certifications PMP or Prince2, with expertise in project management tools
• Working experience with Microsoft Office Suite.

​​​​​​​Languages

Fluency in English and French